Today, as we commemorate Veterans Day and reflect on the bravery and sacrifice of the millions of Americans who have served past and present, we as a nation have an obligation to preserve what they have fought so hard to protect. The maritime service veterans’ narrative is unique and extraordinary. From their historic role in the founding of our nation, to ensuring homeland security, our sea service veterans will continue to deploy after the land forces have come home — to provide maritime security and help our nation ensure economic prosperity.

In August 2011, our legislative and executive branches came up with the Budget Control Act as a means to force compromise and reduce our national deficit. Last week, Americans went to the polls and reelected the incumbent president and a slightly new Congress.

Clearly, our current and newly elected government need to exercise greater fiscal responsibility, and reducing our deficit must be a priority. Few Americans would disagree with that. To do that, some argue that we spend less on defense. However, the security of our nation must not be the sacrificial lamb of partisan games. This is one area, where we as a nation must stand united. Due to the nature of technological advances, it has been suggested, that a 1915-sized Navy is adequate in today’s environment. This, while possibly well-intended, is a misinformed notion.

First, we live in a radically different world than we did in 1915. Our world is by no means a safer place — as most recently demonstrated in Libya — where a senior career diplomat was assassinated. We have also seen the unpredictability of nations such as Iran and North Korea, both with emerging nuclear weapons capability, the ongoing Arab Spring, increasing terrorist training camps throughout Africa, and China’s instability with neighboring countries and their territorial disputes. All of these actions, including piracy across the seven seas, present a serious threat to our maritime security, our economic prosperity and our very way of life. While ground forces are drawing down in Afghanistan, it is our continually forward deployed Navy and Marine forces that provide disaster response and deter aggression around the globe.

Next, many do not realize this, but more than 90 percent of all global commerce travels by sea. Practically every product we export, use or consume, departed America, or came to the U.S. by ship. Most of the ships very likely traveled through one of the world’s maritime choke points such as the Straits of Malacca or Hormuz, the Panama Canal or the Suez Canal to get to their final destination. Any disruption, even temporary, to the flow of commerce in these areas would have significant impact on our global economy. With many of these choke points located near politically unstable countries, matched with the ongoing reality of piracy, the threat in these areas is real. As a large, maritime nation, the United States has an obligation — to its citizens and its allies — to protect freedom of the seas.

And finally, yes the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier of 2012 is vastly different than the steam-powered battleship of 1915. Today’s ships can travel farther, deliver more firepower and are technologically superior. However, it is basic math — numbers matter. For every ship that is deployed, our maritime services require at least two more ships — one at their home port undergoing maintenance and refurbishment, with another ship probably under way training for their next deployment. The current operational tempo has weighed heavily on our sailors and Marines that deploy with fewer numbers of ships. Ten years ago, the average deployment was about six months, with about 18 months at home. Today, our sailors and Marines are deploying seven to nine months and are only spending a few months back at home before their next overseas deployment.

The bottom line is: Size matters. Reducing the number of ships severely limits our ability to adequately maintain and train an already small fleet, and our capability to respond to crisis, conflicts and disasters is diminished. It severely limits our ability to be forward deployed and engaged around the globe and will force us to assume unacceptable risks in future combat operations. As President Theodore Roosevelt said, “a good Navy is not a provocation to war; it is the surest guaranty of peace.” It is imperative that our members of Congress remember this and remember their constitutional obligation to defend the national security of the United States.

Executive branch leaders have promised that sequestration won’t happen. However, these are statements they cannot make. Sequestration is the law. The only way to stop it is for Congress to take positive action before Jan. 2, 2013. In addition to the sequestration issue, our Congress has used continuing resolutions in lieu of passing a budget every fiscal year for the past 16 years. While this suits the political needs of Congress, it has left our military in the very untenable situation of not being able to adequately plan for, or execute national security objectives. It severely limits their ability to conduct training, acquire and maintain equipment and respond to contingencies.

Officially, the only purpose of sequestration was to force compromise among our elected officials. In reality, it was a contrived notion intended to play out in the court of public opinion. Lame-duck politics often have negative connotations. Our elected officials now have an opportunity to put aside partisan concerns and do the right thing — stop sequestration now. No more campaign ads and no more political pandering. The effects of sequestration would have devastating effects on our national security, the effectiveness and sustainability of our defense industrial base and our economic prosperity unless they act now.

Dale A. Lumme is national executive director, Navy League of the United States.